The present invention relates generally to firearm maintenance devices, and more particularly to devices for maintaining a handgun in position during cleaning or repair of the handgun.
Firearms, including handguns. require periodic maintenance to insure that the firearm functions properly. The various metal parts of the weapon must be checked for rust or corrosion which might interfere with their operation. The non-corrosive gunpowder used in most modern handgun ammunition leaves behind a powder residue and the projectile generates metal foulings when the ammunition is fired, requiring periodic cleaning of the handgun chamber and barrel regions to prevent the accumulation of these debris which might impede the bullet's exit from the weapon. The various parts of the handgun must also be examined regularly to determine whether they are worn out and should be replaced. In addition, certain handguns have special finishes and decorative features which may require special maintenance.
The generally accepted procedure for minor repair of a handgun includes the initial step of partial dismantling of the handgun. This dismantling step, commonly referred to as "field stripping," involves removal of some of the major components of the handgun (cylinder, trigger and hammer assemblies of revolver-type handguns; magazine and slide assemblies of automatic handguns) from the handgun's frame. Field stripping is performed by holding the handgun frame in one hand while removing the aforementioned components with the other hand, generally without the aid of tools. More extensive cleaning requires access to all regions of the handgun and includes further dismantling of the handgun into its basic components with the assistance of tools. Major repair work, including the replacement of certain handgun parts, also involves the use of tools, the operation of which may cause the handgun to be subjected to significant forces which increase the difficulty of holding the handgun in position. Certain large-calibre handguns are hard to hold in one hand during cleaning or repair, due to their overall size and weight. The presence of bulky accessories such as telescopic sights mounted on the handgun increase the problems of maintaining the handgun in a position during cleaning or repair.
Of interest to the background of the present invention are the following reports of handgun machine rests intended to maintain a handgun in position during firing for testing the accuracy of the handgun or its ammunition: Lea, U.S. Pat. No. 2,458,608; Wigington, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,731,829; Broadway, U.S. Pat. No. 3,024,653; and Lee, U.S. Pat. No. 3,343,411.
Of particular interest to the present invention is the fact that no handgun maintenance devices have been reported in which a handgun may be held in a position allowing ready access to all desired cleaning or repair regions of the handgun. The aforementioned patents show machine rests directed toward holding a handgun in position during firing and restoring the weapon to the same position after each shot is fired. The holding means for these reported machine rests comprise clamping the handgrip region to support posts or between clamping plates, thus preventing ready access to the desired handgrip region and the handgun components located therein such as the trigger spring of revolvers or magazine receivers of automatic handguns. The machine rests also include various repositioning mechanisms which serve no particular cleaning or repair function.
There exists, therefore, a long-standing need in the art for a simple, inexpensive handgun maintenance device for maintaining a handgun in position during cleaning or repair and which allows ready access to substantially all desired regions for cleaning and repair of the handgun.